As the value and use of information increases, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. Portable data storage media such as portable disc drives, magnetic media, optical discs and the like are often used to store data and transfer data between electronic devices such as computers. For example, with the advent of personal computers and workstations, it is often necessary to remove the medium on which computer data is stored. A user may desire to remove a storage medium to carry it to a different site and/or a different computer system. It may also be desirable to remove the storage medium to a secure location when the stored computer data is sensitive or secret, or a back-up copy is needed.
Removable hard disc drives are typically housed in a shell or cartridge having isolating materials to protect the disc drive in case of a free fall onto a hard surface. For example, a cartridge 100 (FIG. 1) may include a ruggedized container that houses a hard disc drive. The cartridge can be connected to a larger computer system or network via a carrier permanently located in a desktop or server system. The cartridge may also be removable from the desktop or server system on an as needed basis. Either the original cartridge is reinserted or a different cartridge can be inserted back into the desktop or server. This insertion/removal cycle of the carrier may occur several times throughout the work day.
Each time the cartridge is inserted into the desktop or server system, it must be electrically interconnected with the host computer by way of a plurality of interfaces connectors. For example, a ribbon cable can run from the disc drive to terminate at a disc drive interface connector which must be mechanically coupled to a complementary disc drive interface connector within the cartridge. Thus, the repeated connect/disconnect cycles of the cartridge results in the wearing of parts such as connectors. It is desirable to have a cartridge system that is able to provide power and data signals from the system to the hard disc drive that is able to withstand wear.
It is also desirable to provide a system to permit a user to insert the cartridge into the carrier and eject the cartridge. However, it is possible for a user to unintentionally eject the cartridge from the carrier. This can be undesirable, for example if the cartridge is ejected while data is being written to the cartridge or read from the cartridge, in which case the data can be corrupted.